Former Dry Cleaner

Project Summary

A former print shop and dry cleaner located in a residential Ocean City, New Jersey neighborhood was contaminated due to previously conducted business related activities. Soil and groundwater were impacted with tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-1,2 DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC). Limited soil excavation was conducted inside the former dry cleaner but elevated chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) concentrations continued to persist in groundwater.

The subsurface geology consisted of coarse sand to a depth of 5 feet below ground surface (ft bgs) followed by a peat layer to a depth of 8 ft bgs. Groundwater is tidally influenced with an average depth of 4 ft bgs. Reducing groundwater geochemical conditions were present at the site likely due to anoxic conditions formed within the peat layer.

Remedial Plan

The soil mixing remedial program was designed by Provectus Environmental Products, Inc. (Provectus) in collaboration with Enfuse Environmental, LLC (ENFUSE). Following excavation of the shallow soil impacts, 6,000 lbs of Provect-IR® was applied to the base of the approximate 700 sq ft excavated area with soil mixing conducted to ensure contact with the impacted subsurface.

Injection laterals were placed within the backfill material zone as a contingency to apply additional liquid reagents if remedial goals were not achieved. The excavation and Provect-IR® soil mixing remedial program targeted three primary wells, MW-2, MW-4, and MW-8. All monitoring wells remained in-place during excavation and soil mixing activities. Backfill of the excavated area and general site restoration occurred following source removal and blending activities.

Results

• Reducing conditions were observed, with reductions in dissolved oxygen and oxidation reduction potential (ORP) one-month post-application.
• After 4 months, ORP continued to decrease and indicated strongly reducing conditions.
• PCE and TCE concentrations at MW-2 decreased by >98%, while MW-8 did not have PCE or TCE present.
• DCE and VC reductions at MW-2 range between 78% to 91%.
• At MW-8, DCE and VC were non-detect (ND) at 13 months post-application with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Groundwater Quality Standards (NJDEP GWQS) achieved.
• Sustained destruction of the CVOCs continued with each constituent being reduced by at least 78% at 26 months post-application.